Alaska For Lover’s

Okay, here’s a very cool Alaskan get-a-way for couples. Our outfitter has had such great success with their “couples only week” that they’ve decided to continue the program again this year. 2011 dates are July 31st – August 6th. During this time guests will be treated to some of  the best fishing of the year. This is when you want to be in Alaska. The King salmon are in full spawn and every trout, char, and grayling are stacked in behind them looking for their first “egg meal” of the season. Four species of fresh salmon are arriving in great numbers….pinks, chum, sockeye, and silvers. The bugs are on their way out, the rivers low, perfect for wading and sight fishing, and the weather is usually perfect. What makes couple’s week so special you ask? Well, they understand that most ladies don’t want to follow their husbands to a lodge where twenty other rowdy guys are participating in rowdy guy things. Since the lodge only accommodates 6 people at one time, it only takes three couples to fill it. We also emphasize in fly fishing instruction for the ladies. First class shore lunches are served with a chilled bottle of fine wine. Couples can experience wine tasting in the evenings, visit glaciers and mountain tops, and experience some of the most exhilarsights in the world. The helicopters enable you to land at places where ordinary aircraft cannot. This keeps the crowds at bay and provides solitude for our guests while on the water. Each couple enjoys their own private, cozy, yet modern guest cabin.  

If you have a favorite lady or lady man, please get a hold of us and we’ll make sure you two have a great Alaskan fishing adventure that is suited for a King and Queen.  Price is $6800 per person. Bring two couples and recieve a $800 discount on each. Bring six and the place is yours for the week. If you’ve ever wanted to experience Alaska with your favorite person now is the time.

   

Outback in Alaska…

For anyone who has ever dreamed of fishing in the ”outback” of Alaska… it’s time to pack your gear and prepare for one of angling’s ultimate outdoor adventures. Our owner operated outfitter has over 30 years of experience in the Alaskan wilderness. As such, Outdoor Pursuits Worldwide is able to offer a very unique Alaskan fishing adventures unlike that of any other Alaskan Lodge. Located just 80 air miles west of Anchorage, our outfitter started his lodge operation 34 years ago from scratch. In order to maintain the remote wilderness setting and personal services that are second to none, the lodge purposely hasn’t grown much over the years…. they still take just six anglers per week.

What’s also unique about this Alaskan fishing adventure is that the lodge also owns two small helicopters. This enables our guests to reach smaller, rarely fished streams and rivers. We call this “fishing Alaska, New Zealand style”. The helicopters are capable of landing on right on top of river banks and sand bars that are not accessible to conventional aircraft. This means untouched waters each and every day. Fishing Alaska in this manner is a fly fisherman’s dream. Most of the streams are “wadable” and almost perfectly suited for the fly caster who enjoys throwing a #5-6 weight rod with floating line to 14-26 inch trout, char, and huge grayling. For those anglers who enjoy a true challenge, get geared up for the ultimate “salmon slam”. That’s five species of salmon….caught in one day… all from the same waters. Man, it just doesn’t get any better.

Guests are met by our outfitter in Anchorage and flown via float plane to the lodge. After landing on a private home-built runway you will be “home” for the next few days.  From the lodge anglers can travel both by helicopter and jet boat to some of the greatest  fishing grounds to be found anywhere on earth. Each day you’ll explore a new stretch of water away from the crowds anglers experience at most Alaskan fishing lodges.

We offer a seven-day  six-night fishing adventure that includes round trip air transportation from Anchorage to lodge, guides, lodging, great meals, use of lodge rods/flies, six days helicopter fly outs and one day river boating local waters…plus much more. As an added bonus each guest will experiences a “part-day” helicopter tour to a glacier or mountain peak for one of the greatest photo op’s of a lifetime.

Our 7 day 6 night prices for 2011 start at $6800 per person with group discounts of four to six. We also offer five-day trips for $4950 per person…includes four days helicopter fly outs plus the same as mentioned above.

 For a great Alaskan fishing adventure like no other call or email us for additional information. We look forward to handling all your outdoor pursuits.

Riverside transportation... Alaska style!

Winter is here… it’s time to go!

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Here I sit full of turkey, sweet potatoes and stuffing waiting for the arrival of 25 degree temperatures over the weekend. Yep… winter is steadily approaching the North Georgia Mountains. What it has in store for us is any ones guess. Will it be short and mild or long and brutally cold? As a fly fisherman who really enjoys wintertime fishing, I for one opt for the shorter, mild type. In the end, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.  

For most trout anglers the season is winding down and because of those not so favorable winter conditions the ol’ waders and fly gear won’t see much action until spring arrives. For me that’s not acceptable… and all the more reason to pack your bags and go hit some of our tropical fly fishing destinations. 

We’ve got some really crazy deals going on right now and some are just too good to pass up. We’ve got MONSTER bonefish on the big island of Hawaii. We’ve got tarpon, bones and permit in the Bahamas, Belize and Mexico. We’ve got some of the sickest fly fishing action to be had in the Seychelles’. We’ve got peacock bass in the Amazon aboard the finest mother ship in the basin. We’ve got huge Golden Dorado in Argentina and Uruguay. For those who can only manage a weekend getaway we’ve also got some hot fishing action in the Florida Keys and Texas.

Lets also not forget it’s hunting season. And once again the sky’s the limit. If you can dream it we can make it happen. We’ve got some of the world’s most exciting hunting destinations right at your fingertips. All our outfitter’s have been hand tested and personally approved for your convenience and assurance in knowing that your booking the trip of a lifetime with a reputable outfitter.

At Outdoor Pursuits Worldwide we provide first class travel services to some of the worlds most exotic fishing and hunting destinations. For more information, or to speak to one of our travel consultants call (706) 374-6768 or email at travel@outdoorpursuitsworldwide.com

We look forward to speaking with you and to handling all your outdoor pursuits.   

Pacific sailfish in Panama

 

Big Bulls... in New Mexico.

Monster Peacock Bass and New Year’s In Brazil!

Okay, here’s one of the coolest South American fishing trips going right now. This is for anyone looking for a different way to spend New Year’s Eve in 2011. Start off with a New Year’s Brazilian Beach Bash complete with all the trimming’s and then 6 days of all-inclusive fishing for monster peacock bass. This will certainly be an event to remember. The latest fishing report out of camp is 10 anglers caught 1540 fish. Lots of 20+ pounders are being taken on every trip. Call now as space will fill fast. 

December 31st 2010-January 8th 2011                                                                    

All-Inclusive New Year’s Eve Celebration Bash in Brazil.  6 days of all-inclusive peacock bass fishing, 5 Star Resort stay, Dinner, Dancing, Drinks, Fireworks on the beach, Luxury Yacht accomodations, First Class customer service and amenities.

$4,250 per person.                                                                                                                    Does not include international airfare. Call us for more details (706) 374-6768

New Year's Eve Beach Bash in Brazil

Hair of the dog!

Under Namibian Skies…

Well our trip started with a little snag. Thanks to Jeff’s sister we were flying on the friends and family discount. Only draw back is you fly standby. So friday evening we were supposed to leave and standby we did. So we re booked ourselves for the Saturday pm flight and off to Teds Montana Grill we went for a few cold Sweetwater Brews and some buffalo burgers. We chilled for the night and got a decent nights rest.

 After all of us slept in the next morning we awoke to some hot coffee followed by a full menu of hunting shows on tv. The anticipation had us all feeling good about the evening flight. After a light lunch at Jason’s deli and an ice cream walk around Piedmont Park we headed back to get showered to go.

 A quick cab ride to Marta and the interesting train ride to the airport we sat and waited for the four lucky names to be called. It was like winning the lottery. “Jackson, Dunkin, Lee and Albrecht to the ticket counter”. We rushed to check in. We quickly boarded the plane. Only to find out… yep, we’re flying first class.

 Now I’ve done the coach flight twice to South Africa and due to the adrenaline and excitement it’s really not bad. But being able to stretch out and lay down made all the difference in the world. If we weren’t eating or watching tv on the short 15 hour flight we were sleeping.

 We arrived in Johannesburg and we quickly got our bags and cleared customs. Our host from Afton Guest House was there to meet and greet us as always. We re-booked our flights for the morning since we were a day late and headed out. Since Afton was full that night they put us up in a partner guest house. The Eland guest house. No pun intended on this trip. After settling in our host drove us over to the lodge for the always filling steak dinner. Coupled with a few South African beers and a cigar we turned in for the night.

 We awoke bright and early for our connecting flight to Windhoek. A less than two hour flight and we were under the Namibian sun. We cleared customs and got our bags. I could see the cheesy grin on the other side of the doors of our buddy and guide Drikus Swanpole. There he greeted everyone with handshakes and hugs and our other ph Schalk. Yep. I immediately started referring to him as skunk.

 So we jumped into the safari wagons and were off to the farm. We made a short stop at the local mall. Ha. Now let me tell you how interesting the closest shopping is some almost 50 miles away. We finally arrived and were greeted with more hugs from Danita. That’s drikus wife. Ironically enough we’d met them in Atlanta at the sci show. It didn’t take long for us to hit it off. Before long we’d mutually committed to sponsoring the NWTF JAKES Dream Hunt and made a point to meet up in a few weeks in Nashville for the national convention. So… short story long, it was like reuniting with family.

 We had a quick bite to eat and everyone finished getting settled in. I think jet lag finally took over and we all passed out for a quick cat nap. After waking and enjoying some tea we ventured out for the afternoon hunt. The game was on.

 Carrie and I headed out with Drikus and Willie. Willie would be our tracker for this trip. Jennifer and Jeff headed out with Schalk. Carrie had already bet that Jeff would score first between the two rookies. She also said jennifer would score first between the two veterans. Little did she know she’d be half right.

 We’d sat for a short while over a water hole when the activity started. All sorts of game. But when Drikus told Carrie to get her bow ready it was serious business. A pair of red hartebeest were coming in. Two nice bulls but one definitely a trophy. Carrie did everything perfect. Drikus said draw your bow and she was right on queue. It was only seconds till I heard the pink camo Athens Accomplice let the arrow fly. The Arrowdynamic Solutions arrow and Atom broadhead found their mark perfectly. The bull ran off and I think Carrie was in complete shock at what had just happened. We waited a few and called Willie to bring the truck. A short walk and I was elated to watch Drikus hug carrie congratulating her on her first ever bow animal. You could see the white of her smile all the way back in Georgia.

 So after the ceremonial videography and photography Willie took her first ever sci gold medal trophy back while we got back in the blind. We sat till dark but had no other shot opportunities. For us or Dunk and Driz. So Carrie was 0 for 1 on the bet. But after celebrating the hunt over a Namibian beer and South African wine with game meatballs we called it a night.

The next day everyone was ready to go but it was quite a bit chilly. The ride to the blind for me was freezing sitting in the back of the truck while Carrie sat up front. We made it to the blind and sat. And sat. And sat. A totally slow morning with no activity. For us that was. Dunk and Driz saw a few critters. And right after lunch jeff would savor his first African trophy. A beautiful mature kudu bull. The 50 plus incher was a trophy by all standards. While we didn’t have any luck that day Carrie did have her run in with what’s become her obsession. A herd of giraffe came to water at dark. We went back to the lodge for another victory celebration. And yet another amazing game dinner of game cutlet stir fry. We were all short lived and longed for our beds.

 After a good nights rest we were up and at it again. This time the weather was much calmer. Less wind and not so cold. Dunk and Driz were off to prove half of carries bet right. Jennifer scored on a beautiful black wildebeest. We had an active morning but no harvest. That luck would soon change.

 While Drikus was trying to use the little boys bottle he looked out the camera window to see a herd of eland bulls coming in. I quickly grabbed my bow. We watched and evaluated which one was best. Despite the two horns being asymmetrical he had a beautiful blue face and great big chin. The trick was now the shot. He was quartering away. Hard. I had a split second and took aim. I aimed for the offside leg and let the Athens Accomplice fly. The Arrowdynamic Solutions arrow tipped with a new Radian broadhead found their mark.

 The bull walked a few steps and stopped as though nothing happened. He stood there for a short pause and started walking towards the trees. As soon as he got there he laid down. We thought he was done that quick but these amazing animals have learned how to survive the wilds of Africa. At almost 2000 pounds they’re one tough animal. I secured a follow up shot and shortly was standing over my largest trophy to date… by far. The mass of his horns. The beautiful blue face. I relished the many photos and video admiring my new trophy before the trackers winched him into the back of the truck. Back to the blind we went.

 We figured we’d sit again as we’d seen several animals that day and had a good feeling we’d have a shot at another trophy. Sure enough. A few hours later I’d spotted a herd of springbuck coming in. They eventually came in and there were two mature males. Scattered in with dozens of female and immature springbucks. And kudu. All walking in and around one another like rush hour traffic. I watched the two males and one came to water. I had a narrow shooting window. It wasn’t the perfect shot but I had confidence in the new Radian broadhead. I shot a bit high but achieved a complete pass through shot. The springbuck bolted and bounded off like a streak of lightening. We waited a short while and set off to track him. We were quite a ways off from the lodge and had no cell or radio service so we were on our own. Drikus followed the blood trail for what seemed forever. He told Carrie and I to walk and scan the area as he couldn’t go far. We spread out and shortly Drikus and Carrie watched my bow pumping in the air  with excitement at finding this absolutely gorgeous animal. After a few photos we’d drag him back to the blind to sit out the day. We didn’t have any other shots but the day was absolutely perfect. For me anyway.

Carrie and I sat in the back of the safari wagon heading back to the lodge watching the beautiful Namibian sunset against a backdrop of scenic plains. Among the tall grass and trees we’d pass hundreds more animals. Its truly a beautiful sight and one we feel so blessed to see and enjoy Gods amazing creation first hand.

 Back at the lodge Jennifer and I exchanged hugs and congratulations. I savored a cold beer and great cigar. Followed by a fire grilled steak dinner. No room for desert. And time for bed. So as I lay here and sign off I can only imagine my dreams of what tomorrow may bring.

 Under the namibian skies…

Say Goodbye To Summer…

Although the heat and humidity will linger a while longer… the summer crowds are beginning to dwindle, there’s fewer cars on the road, and thank the Lord… fewer people at Ingle’s. (That place can be a mad house.) My little guy’s are back in school and just as quick as it came… yet another summer has drifted away. The fishing has been on fire the past 5 months, the pictures taken and the memories made will attest to that. As the tourism season begins to wind down here in Blue Ridge, folks will start staying closer to home in preparation for the upcoming school year. Shopping for clothes and other necessities has now taken presence over weekend fly fishing trips in the mountains.  Not until the fall leaves begin to change will we get busy with the fly fishing once again. So, with a couple month’s of some much-needed down time we also begin to transition from summer time fishing activities to those of the 4 legged kind. Hunting season is just around the corner.    

As everyone prepare’s for the steadily approaching school year, our transition from the final days of summer are some what different than most. Along with the steady daily grind of a job, wife, family, dog… we’ll hang up the fly gear for a little while and begin making preparations for the upcoming fall hunting season. All the hard work of getting food plots in place, getting stands located and hung,  and maintaining all the trail cameras is about to pay off for some very lucky hunters. Chris, Carrie and “Chief” have been working really hard out at bear camp the past few months and WOW! do they have some “bear-cam” pics. Man, I’m talkin’ some really big bear’s. For those who have never been to bear camp… your missing it. This place is cool!  It’s as close as you’ll get to being on a real western-style bear hunt right here in the mountains of North Georgia. Talk about stepping back into the days of Jeremiah Johnson… this place is remote. And, full of big critters. As such, it’s been labeled the “Flies and Fletching Proving Grounds” and I GUARANTEE YOU… some big bears are going to hit the ground this fall. Be sure and stay tuned to our blogs, Facebook and Twitter posts for all the upcoming camp fire stories and pictures we’ll be posting from each  hunt.         

Prior to all the fall hunting festivities here in Blue Ridge, Chris and Carrie are heading to Namibia, Africa this week with a group of friends and clients on a so-called “test run” for next year’s NWTF JAKES Dream Hunt. Along with Flies and Fletching and Outdoor Pursuits Worldwide… Driekus Swanpole, his wife Danita, and the rest of Ekuja Hunting Safari’s are graciously hosting all of us this coming March for what will surely be the best 10 days of some lucky kids life. For anyone not up to speed on the NWTF JAKES Dream Hunt, this is it in a nut shell. Eligible JAKES compete for an all expense paid trip to Namibia this coming spring 2011 by completing an approved conservation project. Yes, there’s more to it, lots more… but that’s the nuts and bolts. For more info you can log onto the NWTF web site at www.nwtf.org or visit us at www.outdoorpursuitsworldwide.com and click on the “News and Press” link. If your son or daughter is not yet involved with the NWTF JAKES or EXTREME JAKES youth programs I would strongly encourage you to take a serious look. This is a wonderful program and a great opportunity for all of us to get our kids get back outside and help them find joy in being outdoors.

In closing, we’d like to say thanks to all our guests who continue to help us in our quest to bring outdoor pursuits of all kinds to those who enjoy doing exactly what we do. We’ve been fortunate… and we owe that to you. Thus far 2010 has been a bang up year and the next few months also seem full of promise. Just as fast as summer has come and gone so to will the days of fall. We hope everyone has had a fun-filled summer and that your fall hunting season is full of excitement and opportunity. We look forward to sharing the stories and seeing all the pictures. With so much excitement in the forecast, lets all say goodbye to summer.

Always be safe in the woods and on the water… God Bless.

80 Days Of Disaster… What Does The Future Hold?

Oil giant BP mounted yet another aggressive response to the oil spill in the Gulf on Sunday as it deployed undersea sensors to get a better measure of the continuing flow of crude while drawing up new plans to meet a government demand that it speed up the containment effort ahead of President Barack Obama’s visit to the coast. Wow! don’t I feel a sense of relief.

 Peoples livelihoods are at stake here and the financial ramifications of this disaster continue to mount in astrological numbers. The White House and states have put pressure on BP to set aside billions of dollars to pay spill-related claims in a move that could quickly drain the company’s cash reserves and hasten its path toward possible bankruptcy. My question is this? If such a large player in our oil industry were to go bankrupt where does that leave us, the average American citizen?

People are seriously underestimating how much liquidity in the global financial world is dependent on a solvent BP. BP extends credits through trading and finance. It extends the amounts, quality, and duration of credit a bank could only dream of. The gold community should also think about the financial muscle behind a company with 100-plus years of proven oil and gas reserves. Think about that in comparison to a bank with only few tangible assets. Does anyone really understand what will happen if BP goes under. Afterall this is no bank. With proven reserves and wells in the ground, equity in oil fields all over the planet, in terms of credit quality and credit provision… nothing can match an oil major. God only knows how many assets around the world are dependent on the credit and finance extended from BP. It’s likely to dwarf any banking entity in multiples we can’t even begin to imagine.

Banks try to lean on major oil companies because they have exactly the kind of credit-worthiness that they themselves lack. In fact, major oil companies spend large amounts of time both denying banks credit and trying to get bank risk off of their books in their trading operations. Oil companies have always mistrusted bank creditworthiness and have largely considered the banking industry a bad financial joke. Banks plead with oil companies to let them trade beyond one year in duration. Trading is a function of credit mixed with the risk of the position. As trading and credit are intertwined, we might do well to remember what could happen to global liquidity and markets if BP suffers what many believe to be its deserved fate of bankruptcy. The Inter-Continental Exchange, or the ICE has already been, and will be further undermined by BP’s distress. It is one of the only “hard asset” entities backing up this so-called exchange.

If BP does go bust, or even if it’s just badly wounded (regardless of whether it’s deserved or not) and the US entity is allowed to fail the long-term OTC derivatives in the oil, refined products, and natural-gas markets that get nullified could be catastrophic to us all. This in turn will kick back into the banking system. A system that is already in turmoil of its own. BP is the primary player on the long end of the energy curve. As bad as it may seem, we need them to rebound from this unfortunate disaster in the Gulf. As a result, credit has been cut to BP and counter-parties won’t accept their name beyond one year in duration. A giant is now on the ropes and if he falls, the very earth may shake as he hits the ground. Dont get me wrong, I’m not saying BP isn’t at fault here but the ill-will wished to them by many Americans isn’t to well thought out as the old term “be careful what you wish for” certainly applies to this unfortunate circumstance. 

As we’re now beginning to see, Western pension structure, financial trading, and global credit are all intertwined here.  And BP is central to all of this as a massive supplier of what many believe(d) to be AAA credit. So while we see banks roll over and die and sovereign entities begin to falter, we now have a major oil company on the verge of going under. As such, yet another leg of the global economic “chair” is being viciously kicked out from under us. All the while by the support of many Americans seeking some sort of refuge and comfort in seeing BP pay for the ecological damage they  have caused. But, here’s the unforseen kicker. Ecological damage isn’t just an eco-event on its isolated own. It’s been added to the list of man-made disasters that now jeopardize our world’s economy. The price tag of such and the resultant effects of a BP failure could easily be equal to that of a Lehman… if not more. It’s surely, at the very least, Enron times 10. And that my friends is something this country just doesn’t need at this very moment in time. God bless us all as we continue to pray for our country all the good people who have been so severely effected by this catastrophic disaster. 

Summer Update

It’s hot, it’s humid, summer is in full swing here in the mountains of North Georgia and so are we. We are really excited about the continued loyalty and support we’re recieving from all our worldwide outfitters, our friends, family members, and past and present guests. The year started off with a bang and hasn’t slowed down yet. We’ve spent a lot of time traveling around the world meeting with new outfitters and establishing new realtionships in hopes of adding more destinations to our steadyily growing list. We continued to send guests from all over the world on some of the most adventurous hunting and fishing excursuions to be found anywhere on the planet. If you have the desire to travel the world in search of all things hunting or fishing… then Outdoor Pursuits Worldwide has just what you are looking. Whether fly fishing for wild browns in Patagonia and Chile, chasing taimen in Mongolia, battling oversized peacock bass in the Amazon basin, tigerfish in Botswana, sailfish or marlin in Guatemala and Costa Rica, bonefish, tarpon and permit in the Florida Keys and Bahamas… if it swims, we’ve got what every angler wants. 

For the stateside big game hunter we have some of the most sought after hunts for trophy elk, mule deer, whitetails, mountain goats, sheep, black bear, brown bear, mountain lions, moose, oryx, exotics and all species of wild turkey. For international hunters we’ve got gold medal stag hunts in New Zealand, caribou hunts in Canada, argali hunts in Mongolia, fallow deer in Hawaii, turkey in Mexico, Big Five and plains game in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Mozambique. The list goes on and on. If you can hunt it, we know where and how to get you there. 

At Outdoor Pursuits Worldwide the world is your playground and we are your hosts. From all of us here at OPWW we thankyou for your continued patronage. Without you…  we wouldn’t be in business.  For information or general questions regarding any of our world-class hunting and fishing excursions call us at (706) 374-6768 or email at travel@outdoorpursuitsworldwide.com. We look forward to hearing from you and to handling all your outdoor pursuits.

Let The Good Ol’ Boy’s Figure It Out!

Now why can’t our government come up with a plan like this… and make BP pay for it. As simple as this is one would think this is a no-brainer. It would help the farmers of Louisiana, and help our country at the same time. Oh yeah, and it may help control the biggest thing natural disaster this country has yet to see. Hell, just leave it to the good ol’ boy’s and they’ll figure it out. Maybe BP should seriously consider going country. It sure doesn’t seem like anyone else has a plan that will actually hold water… I mean oil! 

Check out the link below and pass it on to anyone you know who actually gives a damn about whats happening in the Gulf. 

http://www.wimp.com/solutionoil/ 

Oil from the Deepwater Horizon has already penetrated 10 miles into the marsh interior.

The Battle On The Beach… Is It A Futile Cause?

BP + The Feds = another Exxon Valdez ……

Oil is washing ashore along the Louisiana coast by the barrel full. Wildlife is dying in astounding numbers on a daily basis. People’s livelihoods are facing both personal and financial ruin. Yet as a country of great resource, oil continues to spill from the depths of what was… Deepwater Horizon. 

The federal government is supposed to be in charge of the response to the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster, but it sure doesn’t seem as if they give a damn. The government has complained about BP using chemicals when told not to, missing deadlines and trying to under-play the amount of oil leaking from the site of the April 20 explosion. They say, technically, the Coast Guard is in charge of the response, yet several federal agencies are involved. It all looks way too much like the response to the last Louisiana disaster… Hurricane Katrina.  President Obama has been asked to assert full federal control of the response. But, the White House might not want to take full “ownership” of something that could be both a political and environmental disaster. The White House isn’t looking too good right now, by merely pledging to “keep the foot on the throat of BP” they have all but fallen short. BP has every reason to stop the leak, but also every reason to look out for the company first. Well Mr. Obama, it’s time you look out for our country first. Over a dozen country’s have asked to help in the containment process… so far the response has been, “thanks but no thanks.” 

BP’s has announced that they’re taking responsibility for the response to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, not for the accident itself. What hypocrisy. Sounds more like they’re patting themselves on the back for helping to fix this natural disaster. BP CEO Tony Hayward said they are dealing with the cleanup and compensation to those affected, and while they have been dealing with it, their initial efforts also highlight that they’re ultimately looking out for themselves. That’s pathetic! … The company has offered settlements to coastal residents of no more than $5,000 if they give up their right to sue. Again, pathetic! What about all the out-of-work fisherman they’ve hired to help with the clean up. These guys will lose everything they have if something isn’t done to contain the oil. $5,000  is just a drop in the bucket when it comes down to losing everything you have.  Only after being highly criticized for such a disgraceful offer, BP has since removed the language from the contract. They also initially attempted to downplay the seriousness of the spill, saying the rig was only leaking 1,000 barrels a day when in fact it is leaking five times as much. 

No here’s the irony in all this… In response to the massive BP oil spill, Congress is now getting ready to quadruple — to 32 cents a barrel — a tax on oil used to help finance these future cleanups. The increase would raise nearly $11 billion over the next decade. The tax is levied on oil produced in the U.S. or imported from foreign countries. The revenue will go to a fund that is managed by the Coast Guard to help pay to clean up future spills such as the ones in Alaska and now the Gulf of Mexico. Lawmakers want to increase the current 8-cent-a-barrel tax on oil to make sure there is enough money available to respond to future oil spills.  At least 6 million gallons of crude have spewed into the Gulf of Mexico since a drilling rig exploded April 20 off the Louisiana coast. That is unacceptable, and almost certain death for the Louisiana marshlands.

President Obama and congressional leaders have said all along that they expect BP to foot the bill for this disastrous cleanup. So why now is there a proposed tax on the table to fund future spills? The responsibility SHOULD lay at the feet of the guilty party… accidental or not. BP was warned far in advance that drilling at such depths was dangerous and should problems arise, a natural disaster was a certain outcome. With such advice given, BP still chose to ignore the potential threats and now all US citizens are going to be forced to pick up part of the tab. 

BP executives told Congress last week they would pay “all legitimate claims” for damages. But the government needs upfront money to respond to future spills, as well as money to pay for cleanups when the responsible party is unable to pay, or is unknown. Money spent from the fund can later be recovered from the company responsible for the spill. That’s all but wishful thinking in my book.

The current Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund has about $1.5 billion available. Under current law, only $1 billion can be spent from the fund on a single incident. The new bill would increase the spending limit to $5 billion. Where will that money come from if not from tax paying citizens of this country? The U.S. Chamber of Commerce said the tax increase was hastily put together, without adequate study, to help pay for another unrelated bill. The tax increase was unveiled Thursday, without any congressional hearings to study its impact. With the tax increases the bill is projected to add $134 billion to the federal budget deficit. Great, that’s just what this country needs! 

Do we honestly know how this will impact domestic production, do we really know how this will impact the overall economics in this country? Since there has yet to be any sort of deliberation on this I would assume the answer is NO!. Dont get me wrong, I understand we need to have some sort of  insurance policy in place in order to cover the good people of this country in the event of another spill, or any other type of unforseen disaster. But, at the same time we must establish a vital oil and gas industry in this country,  otherwise we are in for a  dark and gloomy future.

BP said Monday its costs thus far for responding to the spill had grown to about $760 million… I say, good for them! Maybe next time they’ll listen when someone says it isn’t safe to drill at such depths… or maybe not!

Let’s all continue to pray for the people in Louisiana, let’s do what we can with what we have to help out, lets hope for a bright outcome in what seems to be a very bad situation. Only God, the power of prayer and a positive outlook will get us through this unfortunate event.

A hurricane in this area during the upcoming season would mean total destruction of the Louisiana marsh and all that lives within.